Cowboys Gameday: Week 17

Cowboys at Eagles

Noon Sunday TV: Ch. 4

Radio: KRLD-FM (105.3), KMVK-FM (107.5, Spanish)

Line: Eagles by 4

A win would mean ...

The Cowboys will set the franchise record for most regular-season wins (14) and achieve the biggest one-season turnaround in team history. But leaving Philadelphia as healthy as possible for the playoffs is the true victory Dallas is targeting.

A loss would mean ...

Zilch. The postseason is looming and the meeting with the Eagles, who are out of playoff contention, holds no significance.

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SportsDay’s Picks

Cowboys backup running back Darren McFadden, who had 14 carries against Detroit in Week 16, is likely to see more action against the Eagles as Dallas looks to rest Ezekiel Elliott. (Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer)

Brandon George: Neither team has anything to play for in this regular-season finale. The Cowboys have the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs already secured, and the Eagles aren’t going anywhere but on vacation after this one is over. The Eagles also didn’t have anything left to play for a week ago when they hosted the Giants. And the Eagles beat a Giants team that needed to win to remain alive for the NFC East title. The Cowboys won’t play some of their starters and the others probably won’t be in long. But this is a deep Cowboys team, and several players who will finish this game are playing for future contracts, including running back Darren McFadden and quarterback Mark Sanchez. Eagles, 20-17

Kate Hairopoulos: The Cowboys have said all the right things about playing to win the regular-season finale at Philly. Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott even espoused about the value in facing a division rival he’ll be seeing for years to come. But it makes no sense to risk losing key players to injury in a meaningless game just before the playoffs. That’s why Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott will only make cursory appearances, just enough to feel like the momentum continues. Cowboys who have been managing or playing through injuries will sit. Dallas will have to dig deep just to field a defensive line rotation. Let’s get this done and move on to the real show. Eagles, 24-17

Jon Machota: The starters aren’t expected to play much, so the result will likely be the least entertaining game of the season. It also means that one of the most impressive seasons in franchise history will end with a 3-3 division record. The players have been preaching the last two weeks about keeping their foot on the gas and building momentum. But it doesn’t make much sense risking injury in a game that has no impact on Dallas’ playoff position. The broken legs suffered by franchise quarterbacks Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota last week are a perfect example of how quickly things can change on a single play. Eagles, 21-14

David Moore: The Cowboys got this campaign underway with four preseason games. They end it with a fifth Sunday in Philadelphia. You may have heard by now this game carries absolutely no weight in the Cowboys’ upcoming playoff road. That’s been determined. But that doesn’t mean a loss is better than a win. These Cowboys have worked all season to forge a winning culture. Why would anyone expect them to adopt an attitude for this game that a win doesn’t matter? Key players won’t take the field for Dallas in this game. Some will take the field and not stay long. But that doesn’t mean the blueprint, discipline and determination they have displayed all season will be scrapped. Cowboys, 23-20

Tim Cowlishaw: Dallas bench not deep enough to rest so many players that Eagles can win. Cowboys, 19-13

Rick Gosselin: The game doesn’t matter to the Cowboys. But a franchise-record 14th victory should be incentive enough for the starters for as long as they are on the field. Cowboys, 24-20

Kevin Sherrington: In a game as meaningless as the Birmingham Bowl, Cowboys get a nice tuneup, avoid injury. Eagles, 27-24

You make the call

We want to know who you who think will win this week’s Cowboys game. Enter your score below, and see which team other readers think will take home the “W.” Scores plotted on the lower-right of the chart indicate a predicted Cowboys victory, upper-left indicate a predicted opponent victory. (Note: Only scores below 60 will be shown.)

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Bob Sturm’s scouting report

SituationEdgeIn the know

When the Cowboys run the ball

Edge

It is difficult to blame the Eagles defense for the way their 3-0 season has evolved into 6-9. But the wear and tear has led to them allowing 372 yards on the ground to the Redskins, Ravens, and Giants — teams that hardly aspire to dominate with the ground and pound. We can anticipate a heavy dose of run plays from a Cowboys team looking to get through the game.

When the Cowboys pass the ball

Edge

We can only speculate on which Cowboys will be throwing the ball and catching it, but we know the perils of passing into an Eagles defense that just rocked the Giants’ passing game pretty hard. This will be a “just get through it” type game-plan. Our educated guess will say the Cowboys will not set production records in this one.

When the Eagles run the ball

Edge

Getting right tackle Lane Johnson back from his sizable suspension should continue to help the Eagles get their running game going, where they have actually been decent given the circumstances. Meanwhile, the Cowboys’ run defense has been one of the real finds this season.

When the Eagles pass the ball

Edge

As a believer in Carson Wentz, I will blame most of his rough year on the fact that the Eagles have almost nobody who scares a secondary. He’s actually doing what all rookies must do —learn what you can and can’t do in the NFL. But Wentz will be fine and probably will have a long rivalry with Dak Prescott. But for now, big passing days are rare for the Eagles.

Special teams

Edge

Darren Sproles, the Eagles’ dynamic punt returner, has been limited after taking a very questionable hit against Washington a few weeks back. The Cowboys have not seen much of anything from their return game, but they feel good about their kicker and punter.

Intangibles

Edge

There is no good way to measure an intangible edge on a game like this. One team has no real reason to obsess about the outcome and instead will prioritize staying healthy and not losing any key components. The other team has no reason to worry about too much beyond packing their lockers and heading off into another playoff-less offseason. The fifth time in six years that the Eagles will watch the playoffs. Maybe the Andy Reid era wasn’t so bad, after all.

Bob Sturm’s spotlight

When it comes to big signings and free agency, not many of Philadelphia’s grand plans have worked out over the last few years. But the signing of Malcolm Jenkins from New Orleans was a real find as he continues to be one of the top players on a very good defense.

Jenkins is a do-it-all safety, who seems to be at his best when he is allowed to patrol the field like a hybrid linebacker. But he also can cover most tight ends and slot receivers, offering ball-hawking abilities that are becoming more and more of a lost art. He is able to bait quarterbacks into throws and then jump the route. He also can also offer a well-timed blitz off the edge.

He’s another Ohio State Buckeye who is making a dramatic impact in the league. Jenkins just turned 29 and won NFC defensive player of the week for single-handedly destroying Eli Manning’s evening with two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.

In February, when the Eagles were locking down many of their veteran players, Jenkins was signed for another five years. At this pace, it looks like he has plenty left and in some respects is improving with age.

Sturm’s prediction: Eagles fans would enjoy beating Dallas while Cowboys fans just want to get the game over with so their team can heal up during the bye week. We will take the Cowboys because that has worked 13 of the last 15 weeks. Cowboys, 27-17